Love — and all that jazz

St. Vital

St. Boniface

Look out, jazz world — here comes Katrina Van Humbeck.

The local singer, pianist, and music educator has a new album coming out later this month. Titled Only Love, the record features six original songs written by Van Humbeck alongside five jazz standards, a first for the local musician and mother of three.

“I’m a classically trained musician, but I’ve come over to the jazz side,” the St. Vital resident said. “I just love the colours in the music, the expressiveness of it. I love accompanying myself as I sing.”

Van Humbeck, who teaches music to elementary school children in the public school system, has released three previous albums of original material, all of which had elements of jazz, but also explored pop, swing, and Latin grooves, as well. Only Love marks the first time she’s gone all-in on jazz.

“I want to establish myself as a jazz artist on the Canadian music scene,” she said. “I’ve kind of danced around that for a while.”

The new album was recorded in Winnipeg at Private Ear Recording, and features a quartet with Juno-nominated Larry Roy on guitar, Karl Kohut (professor of jazz studies at the University of Manitoba) on upright bass, seasoned jazz musician Jim Johnston on drums, with Van Humbeck handling vocals and piano.

“The musicians it features are just phenomenal,” Van Humbeck said. “These guys don’t need a lot of time to prepare. It felt so good to just say, ‘Yeah we’re good with this. It was a thrilling experience.’”

Taking inspiration from jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan and Helen Merrill, along with contemporary practitioners of the music style, Van Humbeck said she tried to bring her own flair to the five standards on the record, without going too far off script.

“Performing jazz standards I’ve done for years. I just never recorded them,” she said. “It was refreshing, and intimidating, recording music people are familiar with. I loved the challenge of taking it on and singing and giving homage to these jazz greats.”

The theme of love, which connects all of the numbers on the record, is interpreted in many ways, Van Humbeck said, “whether that’s loving yourself, accepting yourself and others, or loving others.”

The official release concert for Only Love will take place on Saturday, May 31 at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain’s Antoine Gaborieau Hall (340 Provencher Blvd.). Doors open at 7:15 p.m., with the show beginning at 8. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.

“For the release, I’m performing with the same musicians that recorded the album, which is the first time that’s ever happened to me,” Van Humbeck said. “It’s going to be an amazing evening of music, with some humour and some music from my other three albums I’ve created, to bring some life to all that music. I’m very excited about this wonderful evening of music.”

Tickets for the show can be purchased at Eventbrite.ca